Alpine CDE-7870 Car CD Player

I installed an Alpine 7870 to replace my '95 OEM premium Ford radio because it was failing. Since I may keep my car only another 2 years I didn't want to spend a lot. The 7870 has decent wattage, great reception, and a simple display (as opposed to the arcade type with too many lights). The green display happens to match my dash scheme as a bonus. After shopping for radios on the web using some electronic stores and catalog websites, the information I found on FM sensitivity using the website compare features made me lean toward Alpine. It was better than Sony and far better than Blaupunct (sp?). I have a long commute to work and there are some stations that I now receive the whole ride where I couldn't before. I purchased my radio as a demo (without box or manual, but with the warranty) for only $130 + $15 for the wire harness adapter for my car. Installation was pretty simple. If you are capable of removing your old radio, you can put a new one back in. Just install the sheath type outer sleeve into the slot in the car, crimp the wire harness adapter to the radio wires, connect to your car, and slide in the radio. Both FM and CD sound are a big improvement over my OEM radio. This radio has plenty of power for me. One con is having pretty small buttons, especially the presets. It's also difficult to read the button labels at night. But I've adjusted OK. For the same $160 list price of the 7870, there is another Alpine that has a rotary volume control.